Author: Community Contributor

Santa Barbara Family YMCA Youth & Government Delegates Experience Democratic Process First Hand in Sacramento

SANTA BARBARA — The Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Government delegation joined more than 3,500 youth from throughout California for the 68th Model Legislature & Court held Feb. 11-15 at the Sacramento Convention Center and State Capitol. Part of the…

Bilingual commentary: The Ominous Rise of Trump

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…

Dads and Daughters Dance Night Away at Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA’s Cinderella’s Ball

SANTA YNEZ – Approximately 500 dads and daughters of all ages bonded during an evening of dancing, games and prizes at Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA’s Cinderella’s Ball themed father-daughter dance. The dance took place over two nights inside the Stuart…

Centerpoint Mall Offers Sweetheart Shopping And Dining Spots For Valentine’s Day

OXNARD — Centerpoint Mall has many sweetheart spots to shop and dine at the more than 49 retail, specialty, entertainment and restaurants ranging from apparel and jewelry to perfumes and gift cards, among others. According to the National Retail Federation…

Santa Barbara Family YMCA Kicks Off 2016 Annual Campaign with Kentucky Derby-Themed Soirée

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Family YMCA launched its Annual Campaign on Saturday with a Kentucky Derby-themed soirée. Approximately 300 people attended to kick off the YMCA’s fundraising efforts with dinner, drinks and dancing. The Santa Barbara Family YMCA…

Consortium Media welcomes Briana Frank, Melina Esparza to brand development agency

VENTURA — Consortium Media, an award-winning brand development agency for local, regional and nationally-recognized businesses, non-profits and government agencies, announces the addition of two new employees to its dynamic team. Multimedia Specialist Briana Frank’s scope of responsibilities includes project management,…

FOOD Share revels in community spirit, celebrates end of most successful Tackle Hunger campaign to date

VENTURA COUNTY — FOOD Share, Ventura County’s food bank and distribution network, scored a huge win for its annual Tackle Hunger campaign. The 2015-2016 campaign, which ran from October 2015 until Super Bowl Sunday, finished big by replenishing its warehouse…

Youth and Family Services YMCA Welcomes Carolyn Williams to the Board of Managers

The Youth and Family Services YMCA is proud to announce the election of Carolyn Williams to its Board of Managers. Wherever Williams has lived, her volunteer focus has been on philanthropic organizations that support children, education, community social service issues,…

49 Oxnard High School students participate in National Groundhog Job Shadow Day Event

Congresswoman Julia Brownley phones in from Washington, D.C. OXNARD — A total of 18 businesses in the Esplanade financial area of Oxnard hosted 49 Oxnard High School sophomore academy students for a Job Shadow day from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The…

Food Processing Holds Opportunities for Ventura County: Newly released feasibility study highlights how the county’s agricultural sector can grow

VENTURA COUNTY — Food processing in Ventura County is currently estimated to support about 1,480 jobs. That number could jump to between 2,680 and 5,450 new jobs, with relatively small-scale development, according to the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County’s new feasibility…

Senior Health Professionals Learn About Aging in Place with Vision Loss

SANTA BARBARA — Recently, healthcare providers and professional caregivers in Santa Barbara County gathered at Braille Institute Santa Barbara for a Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Aging in Place with Vision Loss. Breakfast presenters Jon K. Hayashida, O.D., FAAO, Braille Institute Clinical…

Santa Barbara Family YMCA Youth & Government Delegates Return from Conference in Fresno, Prepare for State Conference

The Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Government Alliance joined more than 3,500 youth from across the state in Fresno this weekend for a Training & Elections conference held Jan. 16-18 at the Fresno Convention Center. More than 70 teens with…

Classical Piano Concert in Santa Paula on Feb. 13

SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Concert Series has been revived and will have its fourth concert of the new series, “Music for a Romantic Night: Classical Piano Music with Geno Palilla,” on Saturday, February 13th at 7:00 PM at…

Bilingual commentary: The Spring 2016 Oxnard College Literature, Arts & Lecture Series

By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes In an unexpected corner of Ventura County, we have access to an impressive array of educational, musical, literary, artistic, historical, poetic and theatrical presentations for our community—free of charge. That former “diamond in the rough”…

HSB and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Partner for Student Bereavement

SANTA YNEZ — Hospice of Santa Barbara is partnering with Santa Ynez Valley Union High School to provide group and individual bereavement counseling free of charge to students on campus during school hours. Through this new partnership, school counselors will…

SCORE Hispanic Program to present ‘Risks of Not Incorporating a Restaurant’ presentation on Feb. 25

OXNARD — SCORE will present the free workshop “Risks of Not Incorporating a Restaurant,” in SPANISH Only, at 7 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 at the Oxnard Heritage Cultural Center, 141 W. Fifth St., Suite E, Oxnard. Call Carlos Delgado at 805-816-7387…

Acuna Art Gallery at the Café on A in Oxnard to present opening reception for artist ‘George Yepes y Amigos’ on Feb. 12

OXNARD — The Acuna Art Gallery at the Café on A in Oxnard will present the opening reception for artist “George Yepes y Amigos: from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 at 438 S. A St., Oxnard The exhibit will…

Ventura County Public Works Agency begins the year with two new accolades

VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Public Works Agency’s (VCPWA) Water and Sanitation Department has received two new honors for recent projects. On Thursday, Feb. 25, the Santa Barbara/Ventura Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will honor…

Property Tax Workshop Hosted by VCCDC with Guest Speaker Steven Hintz set for Feb.18

VENTURA COUNTY — For many homeowners, their property tax bill is the second largest expense of owning a home after mortgage interest but not all homeowners understand their property taxes. Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC) hopes to bring clarity…

Bilingual report: Exhibit by Mexican artist Francisco Toledo to be held in Oxnard on Feb.19

OXNARD — An exhibit by world famous Mexican artist Francisco Toledo will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 at the Mexican Consulate, 3151 W. Fifth St., Oxnard. The exhibit has been touring the globe over the past year. The event…

Bilingual report: Latino Thought Makers Series at Oxnard College to present ‘Conversation with Stars in Hollywood’ featuring Josefina Lopez (Real Women Have Curves), Luis Guzman (Code Black) on March 10

OXNARD — Oxnard College Institute for Latino Performing Arts proudly presents the next installment of the Latino Thought Makers series featuring nationally acclaimed writer, Josefina Lopez and multi-award winning actor, Luis Guzman.  The series, led by writer-director-comedian, Rick Najera will take place on Thursday, March 10th at Oxnard College’s Performing Arts Center…

¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! presents Las Colibri, Mariachi Femenil on March 11, 12 and 13

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! presents Las Colibri, Mariachi Femenil in a series of free concerts March 11, 12 and 13 in Santa Barbara County. FREE concert / Entrada gratuita Friday, March 11 / Sábado, 12…

Las Contemporáneas of the Museum of Ventura County to present the 2nd annual Latina Film Festival on March 12, 13 in Ventura

VENTURA — Las Contemporáneas of the Museum of Ventura County proudly present the 2nd Annual Latina Film Festival. Come celebrate Latinas in film and help us pay special tribute to award-winning Actor/Writer/Producer, Evelina Fernández. March 12 & 13, 2016 The Latina…

Channel Islands YMCA Welcomes Dr. Jeff Schloss as Guest Speaker for Annual Good Friday Breakfast on March 25

SANTA BARBARA — The Channel Islands YMCA Association is pleased to welcome Dr. Jeff Schloss as the guest speaker for its 39th Annual Good Friday Breakfast. The breakfast, themed Keeping Hope Alive, will take place Friday, March 25 at the…

Bilingual report: Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. hosting dental health fair on Feb. 27 in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month

OXNARD — February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. If you have a baby or toddler, you may have questions about thumb sucking, your child’s first dental visit or how and when to clean your child’s teeth. If so, on…

Special Olympics Santa Barbara Hosts 2nd Annual Polar Plunge Fundraiser on Feb. 27

SANTA BARBARA — Are you “freezin’ for a reason?” Special Olympics Southern California-Santa Barbara Region invites the community to participate in the coolest fundraiser of the year: its 2nd Annual Polar Plunge on Saturday, February 27. Companies, school groups, community…

SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning Presents Mind & Supermind Lecture on Monday, February 29th

SANTA BARBARA — On February 29th, SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning (the CLL) welcomes director and chief instructor of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi clinical and acupuncture specialist, Dr. Roger Jahnke, OMD. In his Mind & Supermind lecture,…

Danish String Quartet to perform at UCSB on March 1

SANTA BARBARA — The Danish String Quartet will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at UCSB’s Campbell Hall. One of the hottest string quartets right now, the Danish returns for a consecutive season, following its thrilling 2014 Santa Barbara debut.…

Sebastião Salgado at the Arlington Theatre on March 2

SANTA BARBARA — “Sebastião Salgado — In Conversation with Pico Iyer” will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara.  The subject of the Academy Award-nominated documentary film The Salt of the Earth, Brazilian-born Sebastião…

UCSB to present ‘Sarah Koenig & Julie Snyder — Binge-Worthy Journalism: Backstage with the Creators of Serial’ on March 3

SANTA BARBARA – UCSB to present ‘Sarah Koenig & Julie Snyder — Binge-Worthy Journalism: Backstage with the Creators of Serial’ on March 3 Co-created by veteran radio journalists and producers Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, Serial launched in the fall of…

Ventura County Public Works Agency, Ojai Valley Land Conservancy host ribbon cutting ceremony for completion of Happy Valley Bioswale Project on March 4

VENTURA COUTY — The Ventura County Public Works Agency’s Watershed Protection District (VCPWA WPD) and Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the completion of the Happy Valley Bioswale Project on Friday, March…

YMCA and Special Olympics Team Up to Spread the Word to End the R-Word day of awareness on March 5

MONTECITO — On Saturday, March 5th, the Montecito Family YMCA and Special Olympics Santa Barbara invite the public to attend the Spread the Word to End the Word day of awareness in support of the Special Olympics R-Word Campaign. From…